To successfully combat poverty, we have to view it differently. Hand in Hand sees the enormous potential of grassroots entrepreneurs in alleviating poverty in their communities. Our unique way to success is to combine group savings, skills training, micro finance and market linkage. Our tried and tested model is efficient and cost-effective and we know it is a sustainable way out of poverty.
Entrepreneurship wasn’t always our focus. In the beginning, our primary goal was to get children out of hazardous work and into schools. But it soon became clear that in order to succeed, we’d have to attack child labour at its root: poverty. And for people living in extreme poverty, a decent job and a sustainable income is a fundamental step towards a more prosperous, safer and healthier future.
As one of our founders, Percy Barnevik, puts it: “Our model, help to self-help, puts people’s destinies in their own hands. You train them, you coach them, but they decide for themselves about the future”.
Today, Hand in Hand is active in Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, with fundraising and programme support in Sweden and the United Kingdom. Together, we nurture the creation of more than 1,000 jobs a day, seven days a week. That’s more than 350,000 jobs a year.
Women’s economic empowerment. The women we work with face many challenges – poverty, lack of education, gender discrimination – but by the time they graduate from Hand in Hand’s support, they are stronger and more confident. When they start to earn money they improve their position and influence in the family and in society. Supporting women to come together also gives them a stronger voice and better chance of claiming their rights.
Empowering youth. In countries where youth unemployment is growing at alarming rates, and where the consequences of climate change are acutely felt on a daily basis, the aim of Hand in Hand’s work is simple: To raise the status of self-employment among young people and unlock the path to success through sustainable and resilient entrepreneurship.
Hand in Hand is a results-driven organisation. We track key performance indicators across the Hand in Hand network every month to measure our impact. Globally, we have supported 2.67 million people to join and run Self-Help Groups, facilitated the start-up of 2.63 million enterprises, and been instrumental in the creation of more than four million jobs.
In 2018, Hand in Hand Sweden’s fundraising reached a record-breaking 78 million Swedish Krona, of which only 11% went to administration costs.
There are many ways to fight poverty together with us! You can make a donation here and now – or choose to support our work in the longer term by becoming a monthly donor. If your company wants a lasting CSR collaboration that has a positive impact – please contact us for further discussion.
Together we can do more!
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